“I’ve been talking to Oxy … about them taking over the site; opening up the museum,” Huizar said at a luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum. “They have some other educational uses they would like for the site as well. So, we are working on seeing if that is possible.” Occidental College, however, is not quite ready to make a commitment just now.

Occidental spokesman Jim Tranquada said the discussions with Huizar’s office were part of “exploratory conversations” college officials have had about building closer relations and partnerships with several other area cultural and arts institutions. College president Jonathan Vietch, who arrived at Occidental College last year after working at the New School in New York, forged partnerships with several of that city’s cultural institutions, including the Guggenheim Museum. He wants to create similar partnerships for Occidental, Tranqueda said. “He’s exploring a lot of possibilities.”

4 comments

The Autry’s claim that it can renovate the interior of its existing museum building without triggering any obligation to obtain permission from the City of Los Angeles is the height of arrogance. The Autry thinks it can operate above the authority of the City while taking a multi-million dollar subsidy of $1 per year rent.

How much longer will the people tolerate Eli Broad and Gene Autry and other wealthy people getting giveaways from the City Council (led by Tom LaBonge) at the expense of the taxpayers and the City’s treasury.

The Autry is in breach of its lease agreement now. How long will the City Council be party to this theft of the Southwest’s name, collection, endowment, and assets?

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